University of North Dakota to Drop Its Fighting Sioux Nickname

That was the ultimate decision that University of North Dakota officials made, heeding the call of the NCAA which said the term is offensive to Native Americans. They will retire the nickname of its athletics program and implement a new name for the school early next year. After private meetings were held with leaders of the NCAA, and amid mounting pressure, the school opted to back down and accept a name change.

Despite the school’s claims that Native Americans were not hurt by the nickname, the NCAA upheld its policy prohibiting Native American nicknames, logos, and and mascots. UND is the last of 33 schools to “comply, accept sanctions, or gain an exemption by obtaining support from identified namesake tribes.”

In recent days, the issue sparked heated debate over the issue. But with professional sports continuing to carry on with teams like the Braves, Indians, and Redskins, what’s this decision really worth, anyway?